11 Mar 2025

Ministry of   Higher Education is unable to fill lecturers’ positions in time due to factors of availability of locals with required qualifications and attractiveness of the post to the qualifying individuals, says Assistant Minister of Higher Education, Mr Justin Hunyepa.

He said currently the number of lecturers at all seven Institute of Health Sciences (IHS) was 225.

He said it was also difficult to retain staff members because of conditions of service and remuneration packages, that were not as attractive as those of competitors in the private sector and University of Botswana. 

Mr Hunyepa was responding to a question in Parliament from  Nkange MP, Mr Motlhaleemang Moalosi on Monday.

In addition, he said the ministry had no plans to engage assistant lecturers to assist students during practicals. 

He said IHS utilised preceptors and part time lecturers to augment lecturers during practicals; as and when it was necessary to attain the standard student lecturer ratios as set by the professional bodies.

Regarding maintenance of the IHS institutions, Mr Hunyepa said experts advised that each institution would require approximately P40 million to P45 million to revamp the infrastructure, or a total sum between P280million to P315million. 

Therefore, he said funds permitting; the whole maintenance process was envisaged to take up to five years, to restore the state of the infrastructure.

Furthermore, Minister Hunyepa noted that IHS were moved from the Ministry of Health and Wellness to Ministry of Tertiary Education, Research and Technology in 2020, and, currently he said HIS were under Ministry of Higher Education following rationalisation process in 2024. 

Mr Moalosi had asked the Minister to state the number of lecturers at IHS, how long it takes to fill vacant positions and when the ministry intended to match the standards of other universities considering issue of maintenance. 

He also asked the minister when IHS would be moved from the Ministry of Health to that of Higher Education. ENDS